New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's ad campaign worth Rs 25 crore to celebrate one year in power and highlight its achievements has been slammed by critics. Is this an attempt by Amma to position herself for 2014?

The Rs 25 crore Amma splash in the national capital was tough to miss as national dailies carried four page adblitz of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's one year in office.

It seems to have not gone down well with the Opposition, DMK, which questioned her functioning as a Chief Minister.

DMK MP Kanimozhi said, "What work has she done?"

Jayalalithaa perhaps wants to use her first anniversary in power to announce her importance on the national stage. One reason why the political class was cautious in its criticism was that AIADMK chief could play an important role in the changing political dynamics.

"The Union government too brings out ads. What is wrong in her doing so?" said BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu.

Congress leader Ambika Soni said, "It is for the governments to decide how they want to spend their money."

The Left was, however, unforgiving with Gurudas Dasgupta terming it as a wastage of public money.

While the political class discussed politics, Jayalalithaa was a hit on the social network as twitteratis took a swipe at the AIADMK chief.

During the national security meet called by the Centre in April, Jayalalithaaâ€™s parallel meetings with the chief ministers of some of the non-Congress states had taken the sheen away from the Vigyan Bhawan. It clearly seemed, besides acting as a focal point in the centre vs states battle, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister pitching herself as a formidable leader of a possible Third Front.

This is the sorry state of our country and awareness of our people, this type of stupidity is followed in all the states by their leaders and the reason is we the citizens of India...

What the hell the politicians think in their mind??, they are not doing any charity service by laying a new road or railway line, or by constructing a airport or sea port, they implement the projects form tax payers money, but this bloody politicians drum up their work, as of they have spent the money from their pocket to implement any projects...

My fellow Indians we had many true leaders earlier in India - who really cared for our country and one such great leader was Shri. Kamaraj, his rule was the golden era of Tamilnadu and today the state was able to achieve so many things only because of the the foundation he gave for the state during his 10 years of Chief-minister ship, in 1963 Shri. Kamaraj was about to face assembly election and that time the DMK was formed and growing in power with many of thier leaders with excellent oratory skill and big advierisment and tall claims about thier plan to implement in Tamil Nadu if the win the election, that time a minster from Shri. Kamaraj cabinet went and suggested him - "that we need to advertise our government's achivemnts to public then only we can win this election", for that the great leader aked how much it will cost and the mister said will be around 50 Lack, immidatly the great leader Kamaraj said I will start 10 colleges with that fund, also he said to his minister that I haven't done anything from my pocket - what ever things I have done is from public money and it's my duty so no need to advertise them, and the sad part is the stupid public defeted the great leader in election, and the DMK came to power and they didn't do anything as they promoised in thier election menifesto

Shri. Kamaraj was the CM for Tamil Nadu for 10 years and when he was dead (15 July 1903 â€“ 2 October 1975) his total wealth was 6 set of cloths and a cash of Rs.130/-!!!, he was CM for one of the largest state in India for 10 years but didn't save or accumulate anything form him like the current selfish leaders!!! - where is Shri. Kamaraj and where is today's politicians of Tamil Nadu such as Karuna, Jaya, Chidambaram and Co...

FROM THE Edtion OF

The Tribune

October 4, 1975

Man of the people

A symbol of stark simplicity and down-to-earth common sense, Mr Kamaraj was in many ways a unique personality who attained great eminence without seeking it. For some years he was the most powerful individual in Indian politics. Singularly faultless in personal life, he was firm as a rock as an administrator and also in the political game. But he loved the masses with unmatched passion, reflecting their urges and voicing their hopes in a manner the country had rarely seen before. His eloquence lay in his general silence, for essentially he was a man of action, not of words.

In school for hardly six years, Kamaraj was described by some critics as an â€œilliterateâ€ party president. But he was educated in the school of experience â€” a far more effective school than any otherâ€¦. It was this austere Kamaraj whom former U.S. Vice-President Hubert Humphrey hailed as â€œone of the greatest political leaders in all the free countries of the world.â€

Ray Sir is correct. come the day of the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, all the newspapers of the country are full of ads from various Govt depts. Then nobody has a problem nor anybody in the media has the guts to ask for the cost. what bloody Hippocrates.

Mayawati used to take out huge ads in the major newspapers then nobody had a problem.

This is all an exercise by the media to pull down the Iron Lady of Chennai.

An elected leader is a Public Servant, in office to work for the benefits of the people. Even if they have achieved an excellent record, that does not give them an excuse to spend taxpayer's money, boasting about what has been done. This is suppossed to be their work. Get professional. Work, or get out. And if that is surplus money, they can make the lives of many matter by spending on free education for the poor, feeding the not so privileged ones, or use it to build orphanages and old age homes.

How much is enough? Leaders always take, never give anything back to the society, for which they exist in the first place. Bloody scums.

Just for comparison sake, in today's Indian Express paper on Rajiv Gandhi's anniversary, there are 8 half page ads released by various Central Govt. depts.
This means 4 full pages in a newspaper of 24 pages.

I am sure that the same would be in other newspapers across the country, and in papers like HT and TOI the ad space would be even bigger.